A Journey Alone
by Relatively Strange
Summary: The story of a Dark Elf named Estella and her journey and adventure through Skyrim. There may be some romance at times and i won't be following the story line completely as this will be kind of AU. Some smut may also come from this fic so be warned.
1. Waking Up

_ "You're it, you're it!" my youngest sister, Marina, yelled to me. We were running around and laughing. We were laughing and playing all day long. The pair of us are rolling down hills and picking flowers, continuously smiling and laughing. I look up and notice my four other sisters staring at us. They're at the age where they don't have time for games. My mother is looking at us through the house laughing along with us._

I suddenly awaken from a bump we have just hit on the road. Where am I? I guess the smiling and laughing was all a dream. Someone notices I am awake and he begins speaking to me. I barely hear what he says. The land around me is so beautiful. I notice my hands are bound and I wonder why. I notice two other people on the wagon. There are four of us all together. I think they've made some kind of mistake, I shouldn't be here. I am eighteen years old, I am not a thief, nor am I a murderer like two others on the wagon. How did I get here? i don't speak the entire ride, I wonder what is going on. The Nord next to me is speaking to me, but I am barely listening. I notice we are approaching a village. Good, maybe they'll sort this all out and explain to me what is going on, this has to be a mistake. The wagon comes to a halt.

I hear a woman barking out orders as we are unloaded from the wagon. Then I notice an execution block to my left. What the hell is going on? I see the thief make a run for it and he is immediately taken down by archers. A soldier asks for my name, when I tell him my name is Estella, he looks at the list and notices it is not on there. The woman doesn't seem to care and sends me to the block anyway.

My head is spinning. This cannot be happening; I've never done anything wrong in my entire life. How could these people think I have done anything? I'm just a tiny Dunmer. I would never hurt a fly. I imagine myself back at home now. That's all I can do. Does my family know where I am? I didn't even get to say goodbye and now I'm going to die. I feel a lump in my throat. No, I can't cry, I can't show them that I am weak. I take a few deep breaths and stand with the other prisoners.

The first person is called to the block. They shout a few things, but I don't hear them, I just stand silently and await my turn. I am called next. Here we go; I take a deep breath and step forward. As I do I hear something in the distance, everyone is told to ignore it. I get down on my knees and place my head on the block. I hear it again, but this time I see something emerge from the clouds as well. A dragon! Then things go fuzzy.

I blink and stand up. It's unbelievable, but I have to run. I run as fast as I can to get cover. I notice Ralof in the building. I immediately run to him. I trust him, he explained things to me while we were on the ride here. I run up the stairs and the dragon bursts through the side of the building. I am told to jump into the next building. I don't argue, I do what I am told immediately. I take a giant leap and crash to the ground hard. I run outside and see the Imperial soldiers firing arrows at the dragon and run to try and find cover. I see the soldier who asked for my name and run for it. He tells me to stay close to the wall and the dragon lands right above us. When it is clear I run again, the soldier tells me to follow him, but I don't trust him. After all, he is part of the organization that wants to have me killed. I see Ralof and immediately follow him. The Imperial soldier allows us to escape. I guess I am forever in his debt. Ralof and I make a run into the nearest building. We're safe for now.


	2. Escaping the Dragon

This building is stone just like the rest of them. There is a dead man in the room. Ralof seems to know him. I discover this man is a Stormcloak soldier just like Ralof. After a few moments, Ralof gestures for me to come towards him. I don't hesitate and he removes the bindings from my hands. I'm relieved it feels so much better, he then instructs me to take the dead soldier's armor and weapon. I put it on. It feels strange to be wearing armor I've never worn any before. This axe feels strange too, I've only ever held a bow and even then I only used it to shoot at targets my father had set up for me.

_"Okay Estella, aim and shoot." my father is carefully instructing me as I steady the bow. _

"_Teke, is that really necessary?" I hear my mother calling from the house._

"_Atila, she must learn. She must be able to defend herself if she needs too."_

_ I see all of my brothers and sisters watching from the windows. They're extremely jealous, especially my brothers. I guess being the eldest has its perks, I get to learn everything first. I grin at all of them. As expected, they all glare at me. I see my mother arguing with me father, but I already know who is going to win this battle. Shouldn't it be up to me if I want to learn anyway?_

_ "Mother please," I say as I walk towards her, "I want to learn, I really do."_

_ "See? She wants to learn Atila. Let the girl learn." my father smiles at me._

_ After a few training sessions I become rather skilled with a bow. I am now shooting targets from further distances and different angles. I am usually spot on. I occasionally miss, but that it to be expected from a beginner._

I snap back into reality. I really hope Ralof didn't notice my daydreaming. We're going to try and find our way out of this place. We are walking down a corridor when we hear voices. The voices belong to Imperial soldiers. They spot us and immediately try to kill us. Here goes nothing, I swing my axe and kill one of the soldiers while Ralof kills the other. So that is what it is like to kill someone? I feel exhilarated; I loot the body and move on. Should I really feel like this after just taking someone's life? It feels strange, but I am no longer full of fear. Ralof must have noticed the change in me because now he is grinning at me; I can't help but smile back.

"You know, for a little elf you have a lot of power to you," Ralof says as he looks me up and down.

For some stupid reason I blush, "There is more to me than meets the eye."

"Apparently so."

We continue walking to try and find a way out. I take mostly everything I can find. No one is going to miss this stuff, they're all dead. I kill more soldiers and continue on. I find a bow. Perfect. I must have looked excited or something because Ralof is shaking his head and laughing at me. I equip the bow and now I feel even more confident than I already am. We continue fighting our way through the building and eventually the building leads into some underground cave. As soon as we enter rocks fall behind us blocking the way we came in.

"Well," Ralof states, "no going back that way."

He leads the way and I continue following him. I haven't met many Nords in my lifetime. Being from Morrowind you don't see very many, let alone meet them. I feel like a child standing next to him. I am so small. We make small talk as we walk along, but he doesn't really tell me anything significant about his life. I don't really elaborate on mine either. We continue fighting and walking and finally we find a way out.

I see the sunlight and we quickly find cover as the dragon flies overhead. We have escaped Helgen. Ralof explains to me that there is a town called Riverwood ahead and I should follow the road to find it. He tells me his sister lives there and that I should meet her and she can help me out. Ralof thinks it's best for us to go our separate ways. I hope I get to see him again, he saved my life.


	3. Riverwood

Follow the road to Riverwood. Sounds simple enough. I walk at a quick pace because I know what is about to come. As soon as I can no longer see Ralof it comes. I start sobbing. I see a rock close to me and have to sit down on it because I fear that I'm going to collapse. I feel my hot tears running down my cheeks and I'm whimpering. I have no idea where I am or what in the hell I am doing. I should have just let that dragon kill me; I can't be on my own. I lift my knees and bury my head in them. I let my sobs escape from me and just let it all out.

After what seems like an eternity I lift my head. I actually take a look around, everything is so beautiful, and the trees are so green. For some reason the trees make me feel better, I feel safe again; I know it won't last though. I start walking down the path, I'll look around later, I have to get to Riverwood. As I walk I look down at my arms and hands, they're pretty bloody and cut up, I kind of like the way they look. I feel like a warrior. I hear something. I look ahead and see people approaching and they do not look too friendly. There three of them and they are shouting at me.

"Never should have come here," they shout at me.

Without hesitation I raise the bow that I found back in the cave. It's a simple bow, but it will do. I aim and strike the one closest to me with an arrow. I then take shots at the other two. I continue alternating between the three of them when they're getting uncomfortably close. I switch from my bow to my axe. I've wounded them all fairly well, this shouldn't be too difficult. I manage to finish them off without much damage to myself. I notice a new cut on my arm, but it isn't very deep, I should be just fine. I walk over to their lifeless bodies and loot what I can find. I also take the females armour, it looks like it will fit me better than the oversized armour I have on now. After I gear up I continue down the path to Riverwood.

After several minutes I am almost at the entrance of the town. I take a few deep breaths, I don't want to enter the town yet. I kneel down and feel the dirt in my fingers, it's different here than at home. I see a fox run past me and smile. I've always had a soft spot for them, I don't know why. After I compose myself I walk into the town and notice Ralof standing there. Did he wait for me? I'm actually quite flattered. He smiles when he notices me.

"Changed your armour I see? It's probably for the best. What took you so long? I was about to come looking for you. I thought something happened to you Estella."

"I'm fine. Is something wrong? Why are you waiting here for me?"

"Well, I guess for starters I probably should have told you my sister's name and if you just came wandering and talking to her she probably wouldn't have believed a word you said. Long story short I took a shortcut so I would beat you to town. You sure took your time getting here."

"Sorry, I kind of needed a moment to take it all in. The important thing is that I am here now. Shall we go see your sister?"

With that we are off. Riverwood is a nice town. It's a small town, but it has everything that you could ever need. I find out that Ralof's sister runs a lumber mill. Maybe I could spend my life working there, considering there is probably no going home now. When we get to the lumber mill I see Ralof's sister, Gerdur. I stand awkwardly as they have their reunion and then Ralof introduces me. Gerdur is very kind to me, it feels nice to have a warm smile directed towards me. Ralof speaks to her about the ambush that happened to them, I can almost hear pain in his voice. Gerdur gives me a key to her home and tells me I can stay as long as I like, she also tells me to take anything that I need, I don't hesitate.

When I reach Gerdur's house I am comforted. I feel like I can breathe again. I take a seat at their table and all of us sit around and talk. I meet Gerdur's husband and her son. The boy looks at me strangely, he's probably isn't used to having very many elves around. I did notice one though, I think he was a High Elf, I'm going to have to speak with him at some point. I have a brother around the same age as the boy and I am reminded of home. I sure hope they're doing okay without me. We exchange stories of our lives around the table and Ralof cannot believe that I have never been in battle before.

"You handled yourself so well! I thought you had been doing it your entire life!" Ralof exclaims.

"I've had a bit of practice with a bow, but that's about it," I respond.

"Well you could have fooled me," he winks and takes a sip of his mead.

Nightfall has come and it's time for us to go to bed. Ralof and I share a room. He insists that I take the bed. It's a nice gesture, but this is his sister's house, he should have it. I look towards it and then I look back at him.

"Don't be silly, it's big enough for two," I say as I put my weapons on the ground.

"If you're okay with it then fine."

We crawl in bed and it feels strange. I knew nothing was going to happen between us, but I've never even slept beside a man before, let alone a Nord. I face the wall away from him. I can't sleep, I'm too nervous to sleep after everything that happened today. I think and hour has passed by and I sigh. I roll over and now am facing Ralof.

"Are you awake?" I whisper.

"Now I am," he says, his voice heavy with sleep.

"I'm sorry, it's just I can't sleep."

"I didn't think you would," he's now wide awake and his eyes are on me. "Just breathe Estella, think of home, think of your family."

As I do this, tears begin to fill my eyes and start spilling out. Ralof wraps his arms around me and pulls me towards his bare chest. He is trying his best to comfort me and I really do feel safe with him. I cry into his chest and he is now rubbing my back.

"Shhh, don't cry," he whispers to me.

"I'm sorry, this is all new to me and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing." I sob into him.

"Estella, you're a brave girl, and you're a natural," my face is now to his and he's looking into my eyes. "The way you handled yourself today proves that, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think you're going to be just fine. You'll be able to handle anything that comes your way."

I close my eyes and slide back into his chest. He holds me tightly and rocks me to sleep.

I wake up in the morning and see that Ralof's arms are still wrapped tightly around me. As I move he stirs in his sleep and wakes up too.

"Good morning," he smiles.

"Yeah, it is a good morning," I respond.

We lay in silence for a few moments and eventually we break apart. I notice clothes on top of a chair in the room, Gerdur must have brought them for me. I clean myself up and dress. Ralof has fallen back to sleep, I smile and sneak downstairs.

"You two looked…cozy," Gerdur smiles at me.

"Oh that? That was nothing, I was just having a bad night is all." I say.

I begin helping Gerdur with the breakfast, I tell her I helped my mother all the time at home. We talk about my life. I tell her that I am the eldest of eight children and that I live in Morrowind. Well, did. I also tell her that I was crossing the border to meet a skilled archer my father wanted me to meet, but I never made it and was captured. I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I tell her that if it wasn't for her brother I would probably be dead.

Ralof is now making his way downstairs. "Smells delicious."

He's grinning and he takes a seat at the table. Gerdur thanks me for my help and tells me to go and sit down. Ralof gestures for me to sit next to him and I do so. He looks at the gashes on my arms, I slide them down.

"It's nothing," I say to him.

"Well it doesn't look like nothing," he responds to me.

Ralof takes my arm and examines it. He rubs his finger over it, I flinch a little bit, but it doesn't hurt that bad.

"Does that hurt?" he asks concerned.

"Just a little bit, nothing major." I smile.

Gerdur's husband and son come inside and we begin eating. The boy is telling stories about how he wants to adventure someday. Ralof laughs with him and tells him stories. I then feel a hand on mine under the table, Ralof's hand. He squeezes it and I look at him. He smiles at me and I return his smile.

I spend my day nursing my wounds and helping Gerdur around the house. I plan to venture out tomorrow or even tonight when I feel strong again. I want to explore the land, but I want to make sure that if something does happen I will be able to get out of a tough situation.

Nightfall comes again and Ralof tells me he wants to talk to me privately. He takes me to another house. He explains that it belonged to a friend of his, but no one really uses it anymore. We go upstairs to the bedroom so we can talk. Without warning, Ralof kisses me. I return his kiss and I kind of enjoy it. We share a long passionate kiss.

"What was that?" I ask quite shocked.

"I'm sorry Estella, I just needed to do that. I need to explain something to you."

He grabs my hands and leads me towards the bed so that we can talk. We sit down on the edges of the bed and begin speaking.

"Okay, so you know that I am a Stormcloack. I support Ulfric with everything that I am. I have one problem with his ways though. He is a racist and he believes that Skyrim should be for the Nords. His ideas are brilliant, the only problem is, they're not for everyone. He resides in Windhelm and you should see how your people are treated there. They are segregated and live in the slums. I just need you to know that I am not like him in that way, I would never let them do anything to you, I care about you Estella."

All I can do is nod. So the man he supports is a racist and hates the Dunmer. I guess he hates every race except Nords. Ralof cares about me. I don't want him to get hurt so I know we are going to have to part ways. I lean in and give Ralof a slow passionate kiss, he wraps his arms around me and returns it. I part my lips and he pushes his tongue into my mouth. He runs his hands down my back, I now feel them slowly running up my stomach and they are now on my breasts. We are still sitting on the side of the bed and he gently moves me onto his lap so that I am straddling him. His hands are still on my breasts and he moves one to the back of my head and gently squeezes my breast with his hand. I moan softly and remove his shirt. I run my hands over his carved body. I have never been with a man before and this is all new to me. He removes my nightdress and I am completely naked.

"I have never done this before," I fumble.

"Don't worry Estella, I'll help you." He reassures me.

I remove his pants and we are both sitting with our naked bodies. He moves me to the center of the bed now. We are still sitting up and kissing passionately. I run my tongue along his and he fights his way into my mouth. He places one hand gently on my breast and begins playing with my nipple. I moan slightly, this feels so good. He squeezes it and then takes it in his mouth. I run my hands along his arms and he gently rubs his teeth on my nipple. I feel myself become heated between my legs. I also feel his erection along my thigh. Is this really going to happen? Am I actually going to have sex with Ralof? I'm shaking, I'm so nervous. He places his hands on my head and kisses me. We are kissing long and our naked bodies are pressed against one another. He proceeds to grab my breast again and squeezes hard. He kisses my neck and sucks on it occasionally grazing it with his teeth. He moves his hand from my breast and slides it down my body. He inserts a finger into my sex, I'm so wet. He places another one inside of me and rubs gently. I moan in pleasure. It feels so good. He kisses me again and then he plunges inside of me with his penis. I cry out in pain. I've never had sex and this hurt. Ralof begins thrusting slowly and pushing his penis inside deeper and deeper each time. I feel myself begin to orgasm and I scream out digging my nails into his arms. I am coming and bleeding and with my orgasm Ralof begins to come as well.

Ralof collapses on top of me breathless. He rolls off of me and pulls me close.

"Are you okay little elf?" he whispers in my ear

"Yeah, I'm okay. That wasn't what I um…expected." I respond.

"Did it hurt?" he asks me.

"Yes, it hurt a lot." I answer honestly.

"The next time will be better. The first time hurts a lot."

Ralof gets up and dresses and then tosses my clothes to me.

"We better go back, don't want Gerdur to think something happened." Ralof winks at me.

We head back and go to sleep. Ralof pulls me close and I rest my head on his chest. He kisses my forehead and we both drift off to sleep. When I wake up Ralof is still sleeping, I get up quietly and this time I dress in my armour and grab my weapons. I recall a conversation I had with Gerdur, I have to go to a city called Whiterun and tell the Jarl about the dragon attack. Today is the day I am going to be leaving Riverwood and Ralof will be leaving too. We'll be going our separate ways.

Ralof awakens and sees me dressed downstairs. He knows it too. I figure I should leave pretty soon. I have a tendency to wander off and forget what I am doing. I start to say my goodbyes to Gerdur and her family and tell her that I will be back to visit. Ralof looks at me and then pulls me in a tight embrace. He kisses my lips and I kiss him back.

"I promise you I will try and find you and visit it when I can." He says softly to me.

"Go," I say, "go back to Windhelm, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Be safe. I hope to see you again, but if I don't…thank you so much for saving my life."

With that I walk out the door and begin my journey to Whiterun.


	4. Journey Into Whiterun

Don't look back. I am forcing myself not to look back at the house that I have just left. I fear that if I look back I'll just run back. I walk along the cobblestone path through Riverwood, looking at the houses as I pass. I have to come back to this place, it is so welcoming. I reach the bridge that I am supposed to cross. I hesitate. I walk down towards the water and look at my reflection for the first time since I have escaped. Wow. I look rough. I notice the cuts on my cheeks, those are going to leave scars. I kind of like my new appearance. It reminds me that I survived.

I stop staring at myself and continue over the bridge. I turn right and start walking. I feel so free. The land is so beautiful. Whiterun isn't too far from Riverwood so it shouldn't take me too long to get there. I take my time walking the path. I glance at the tall trees and the tall mountains. I inhale the air deeply. I see an elk in the distance and watch it for a while. So beautiful, so majestic. It just looks so perfect, like nothing could ever harm it. I then look down at my cut up arms. Wounded and scarred is all I am now. Now that Ralof is gone, I am on my own.

I start coming down a hill and I can see the city walls in the distance. Even from this far away without seeing the inside I can already tell that it is beautiful. I see a man outside his farm. I stop to talk to him. He seems pretty happy to have a visitor; he must not get very many.

"You, you're a traveller," he says towards me.

I laugh a little, "Yeah, something like that. How did you know?"

"I don't get very many visitors out this way. Skyrim is a dangerous place, people prefer to stay within the city walls." he explains to me.

I stay and chat with him for a little bit before continuing on. I tell him about the dragon attack and he can barely believe it. "I've heard stories of the dragons, but always thought they were just legends."

"I have to talk to the Jarl, the people in Riverwood need help," I tell him.

"It was nice to meet you, come back and visit me sometime, it was nice to have a visitor."

"I will, I promise."

"Be careful out there, watch your back," he says before I leave his property.

I nod my head at him and head towards the city. I pass by the stables and see beautiful horses. Maybe I'll have to get one, one day. I continue on and go across the drawbridge. I notice two guards outside the city walls waiting. I start walking towards them and one of them meets me halfway. He tells me the city is closed because of the dragons. So they do know. I tell the guard that I need to speak to the Jarl, that Riverwood needs help. He seems to think about this and lets me enter the city.

It takes my breath away. The city is so wonderful. I notice a few children running around playing and I am reminded of my siblings. I wonder how they're doing. Are they doing okay without me? I try not to think about them. I don't want to cry again. I walk straight ahead looking at the stalls in the market that isn't too far ahead. I look to my right and see a man chopping wood. He smiles at me and greets me. I walk over and start a conversation with him. He tells me that he works at the general goods store for a man named Belethor. I keep that in mind, I may need some food soon. I keep walking and notice the people in the market. They all seem to be helping each other out. I will come back to chat with them later, right now I have to talk to the Jarl.

One of the guards told me the castle is called Dragonsreach. I climb the steps to get to the castle door. I take a deep breath and open the door to walk in. I am speechless immediately. This place is massive. I see the Jarl sitting on his throne and walk towards it. As I start getting nearer a woman approaches me. I notice she is a Dunmer and not a Nord like everyone else seems to be. This comforts me until she opens her mouth. She is almost yelling at me. I explain to her that I was at Helgen and experienced the dragon attack. She seems to accept this and I step towards the Jarl.

"So, you were at Helgen," the Jarl says to me.

I give him a witty answer about having a great view while I was about to be beheaded. He doesn't seem to care about my "criminal past" as he calls it. He wants to know exactly what happened and I tell him every. I talk about how I was about to be executed and a dragon swooped in and completely destroyed Helgen. I tell him that Riverwood needs help and he agrees to it. He tells the Dunmer woman, Irileth, to send a detachment to Riverwood. He is glad that I found him and let him know and he rewards me. He tells me there is something else I could do for him and that we should go and speak to the court wizard.

I venture into the next room and the first thing I notice is how stunningly good looking the court wizard is. Am I blushing? I sure hope not. Wow I'm pathetic, I need to get it together. I tell him the Jarl told me that that he had a project that he needed help with. The court wizard seems surprised and angry at first, but then he eventually lets me in on it. He really does need my help. He tells me he needs a stone tablet that may or may not even exist. Oh and did I mention it is in a dangerous ruin? Great, everyone thinks I'm some kind of tough person just because I escaped a dragon attack. I decide I am going to help him, but I am going to take my time doing it, I have to get over my fear first.

I leave the castle and venture back to the market stalls. It is now the evening and they seem to be closing up for the day. I ask one of the guards if there is somewhere that I can stay the night. He points to an inn called "The Bannered Mare".

I walk in and notice that it is quite a lively place. I walk towards the bar and ask if I can rent a room. The innkeeper nods, takes my money and shows me to my room. It's a fairly big room and has all the essentials. Maybe I'll stay here for a while. I close the door and take off my weapons. I lay them in the chest that is in the room. I then strip off my armour and put it in the wardrobe. I go over to the bed and lay down naked. It feels good to let my skin breathe. After about fifteen minutes I walk over to the basin and wash myself down. I find the clothes that Gerdur gave to me and I put them on. I close the door to my room and walk back downstairs.

I go towards the bar and order myself some food and some mead. I haven't eaten very much today and I'm starving. I notice that there aren't any open tables and I see a chair open in one of the corner tables. There is a woman sitting there and I ask if she minds if I sit down. She motions for me to take a seat and I do.

"I'm Estella," I say as I introduce myself.

"Ysolda," she says with a smile, "you're not from around here, are you?"

"No. Is it really that obvious?" I raise my eyebrows and ask.

She laughs, "No, I know pretty much everyone and haven't seen you around before. That's why I asked. What are you doing in Whiterun?"

I explain the dragon attack to her and tell her about my meeting with the Jarl. When she asks why I was going to be executed I tell her that I don't even know. I tell her about the archer I was going to meet and that is how I became captured.

"Wrong place at the wrong time?" she questions.

"I guess so," I say with a slight smile.

I eat and I drink. Then I start drinking some more. Before I know it I'm joining in singing songs and dancing with everyone else. I feel so welcomed here. Someone hands me another drink and I take it without question. I finish it rather quickly. I'm just trying to drown out everything that has happened and this seems to really be helping. I order another drink and keep singing. I chat with Ysolda some more and with other people. I don't take time to get to know any of them, not in this state anyway. It must be getting late, people begin leaving. I get up from the stool I'm sitting on and venture up to bed.

Once I'm in my room I strip off my clothes and get into bed. I quickly get under the covers. Everything is spinning. I should not have drank that much. I close my eyes and try to sleep, but it doesn't come. After about two hours I decide to get up, I still haven't slept and am beginning to sober up. I put on the clothes that I left on the floor and venture out of my room.

I head outside and sit on the steps of the inn. I take in the fresh air and it makes me feel a little better. I notice a guard staring at me and he comes over to chat. He tells me stories that don't make very much sense and even makes me laugh a few times. He then talks about the dragon and I nod along with him. I smile at him as he gets up to go back to his post. I decide to head back inside as well. As I reach my room I take my clothes off one more time and get into bed. I fall asleep almost instantly.


	5. Saving a Brother

I awaken in the morning and to my surprise I am completely fine. I'm surprised I'm not hungover considering how much I drank last night. I run my fingers through my matted hair. It's getting long now, it is past my ribcage. I find a brush along the dresser and attempt to comb the mats out. After what seems like an eternity I get them all out. I wash my face and once again wear the same clothes Gerdur gave to me. I am going to have to find some new ones.

I walk down the stairs and order myself some breakfast. The inn is quiet this morning, only a few people. I eat quickly and venture outside. I notice a young woman talking to her daughter. I walk over and introduce myself. After talking for a bit I realize that the woman doesn't have very much money and I buy a few things from her. She also tells me that men hit on her a lot. This seems to bother her. I tell her that I will watch out for her. I venture to a stall run by an older woman. She is very kind to me and tells me about herself. I learn that she has a missing son. She begs me to help her, but doesn't want to talk about it in the middle of the city. She tells me where she lives and asks me to meet her there.

After about half an hour I decide to go meet the woman. Her name is Fralia Gray Mane. I knock on the door gently and walk in. When I get inside there is a younger man in there and he draws his weapon. I take a step back frightened. His mother tells him that I am there to help. He smirks and then he laughs.

"How is she supposed to help? She is half my size and weight. She's like a child."

I can't say that I am surprised that he has said these things, but I am taken aback. I explain that I am there to help in any way that I can and maybe I can be of some use. They explain the situation to me and I nod my head. So he was kidnapped? After what they have told me I don't believe that he is dead. Apparently everyone in Whiterun does.

"I know what it is like to be kidnapped." I chime in. "It will be nice when he gets to see you again."

I look towards the young man. His eyes are wounded and damaged, he needs his brother. I then look towards his mother, her eyes filled with hope and longing. She then looks at me and asks about the scars on my face. I tell her about crossing the border and about Helgen. I've told this story so many times that it doesn't even feel real to me anymore. I look up at her when I am done speaking. Her eyes are filled with tears.

"You are so young and already you have been through so much," she says. "If you do not mind my asking my dear, how old are you?"

"Eighteen," I reply.

"You're just a baby, but I need you to help find my baby."

"I promise I will."

Tears are forming in my eyes as I look at her. I know that I need to find her son. She needs to know if he is alive. I smile up at her through my tears, she needs to know that I can do this. Her son tells me that he and some other men will be departing in a few days. He tells me where he wants to meet at. It's going to be a long journey. He tells me that I am welcome to travel with him. I think that will be for the best, I have no idea where I am going and the journey will probably be dangerous. I tell him that I will see him here in a few days.

Before I leave Fralia offers to draw me a bath. I accept, everyone knows I need one. She offers to wash me, I find myself accepting the offer, I need all the help I can get. She closes the door and I turn my back to her and undress, she gasps as I do so. Oh no, what it is? I turn and then I notice. I guess I didn't see them before. I have cuts on my back and a long one running from my right shoulder down to the middle of my back. I gently get into the water and sit back. Fralia grabs a cloth and wets it. She rings it out over my back. The water hitting me feels so good. She then finds a small jug and pours water over my head. She takes the cloth again and begins to wash my body, she cleanses away the dirt and dry blood. After about ten minutes she finds me a towel and I get out. She brushes out my hair and tells me how she had always wished she had a daughter. She braids my wet hair for me and I get back into my clothes. I thank her for everything and head back into Whiterun.

I decide I want to make a trip up to Riverwood. I go to my room in the inn and change into my armour. I grab my weapons and set off for Riverwood. Skyrim feels so immense outside of the city walls. I am at the farm I came across on my way in and wave to the farmer as I pass by.

"Leaving so soon?" he calls out to me as I pass.

"Just making a quick trip to Riverwood," I respond.

"Be careful," he says.

I nod as I pass him. I start climbing the path when I see them walking towards me. Wolves. They are snarling and growling at me. I don't hesitate to draw my bow, I fire a couple shots at each of them and they are down. I walk over to them and skin them with a dagger I picked up while in Whiterun. I can always sell these pelts, or who knows, maybe I'll start learning the blacksmithing trade. It doesn't take me very much longer and I am in Riverwood. I smile as I reach it. I walk straight for the lumber mill and I see Gerlurd working hard. I sneak up behind her.

"Need any help?" I ask smiling.

She jumps, "Fuck! You scared me."

I laugh to myself and she hugs me laughing. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you this soon," she says to me.

"I'm heading out in a few days to help save someone's brother. I don't know how long I'll be gone for and I wanted to see you before I left." I say to her.

"I wish Ralof were here to see you," she says again.

I look down at the ground. Yeah, me too. I don't answer her and she quickly changes the subject. She says that she actually could use some help. I nod towards her, pick up an axe and start chopping wood. This is one way to build your strength.

It's getting dark now and Gerlurd insists that I stay over. I agree and walk up to the room I stayed in last time I was here. I put down my bow and my sheath of arrows. I remove my axe from my belt and sit on the bed. I stare at the wall. This place feels like home to me. I take my hair out of the braid and it is now long and wavy. Maybe Gerlurd will come out with me tonight. I quickly venture downstairs.

"Hey! Want to go out for drinks tonight?" I ask her.

"Well, I don't know," she replies.

"Come on, it will be fun! Please?" I try to sound convincing.

"Well, fine, just let me change," she answers.

I giggle in victory. I am so looking forward to going out and getting to know the people of Riverwood. Gerlurd finds me something of hers to wear. She tells me to keep it. She says she is far too old to wear something like it and that I am much younger and it would look better on me. I lace up my corset and the dress is complete. I smooth my hair over and head downstairs. We're ready to go.

We walk down to the inn. When we walk in Gerlurd is greeted by everyone. I stand quietly beside her. When she finishes talking she introduces me to the people she is talking to. I smile politely and make small talk with them. I head over to the bar to grab a drink. Before I know it I am on my fifth. Here we go again. I see that elf I saw when I first came to Riverwood. I accidentally took him for a High Elf when in fact he is a Bosmer. He is unusually tall for a Bosmer. I see the bow on his back and head over to him.

"So you're an archer are you?" I ask him.

He turns around, "Yeah and a pretty good one."

"Well, if you think you're so good, think you could give me a lesson sometime?" I ask.

"I suppose, what are you doing tomorrow?" he asks me.

"Finding you I guess."

"I've never seen you around here before. What is your name if you don't mind me asking?"

"Estella, and you are?"

"Faendal. Well Estella I think I'm going to head home. It was nice meeting you and I'll see you tomorrow. Meet me by the lumber mill."

With that I see Faendal get up and leave the inn. I spend the rest of the night drinking and socializing until I'm ready for bed. I find Gerlurd and we head back to her house. I walk up the stairs and into my room. I peel the clothing from my skin and find a nightdress. I pull it over my head and crawl into bed. I stare at the ceiling for a while. I think of Ralof and when he held me in his arms, here. He probably has found some other girl by now and I shouldn't waste my time thinking of him. I close my eyes and fall asleep.

The next morning I get up and put of my armour. I grab my few possessions and head downstairs.

"I think I'm going to go meet Faendal and then head out," I say.

"Estella, be careful. You're going on a very dangerous journey and I don't want you to die on me." Gerlurd says concerned.

"I'll try my best. Don't worry, you'll see me soon."

Gerlurd pulls me into a hug, "Be safe my dear," she whispers.

When we break apart I smile at her. I grab my stuff and walk out the door towards the lumber mill. I see Faendal there waiting for me. He waves to me and starts walking towards me.

"Shall we get started then?" he questions.

"Ready when you are," I respond.

He begins by telling me a bunch of stuff that I already know. I nod along and just let him keep talking. Finally, we're getting to the good stuff. He puts up some targets and I hit the center every time. He looks impressed. I do it a few more times for good measure.

"So you've done this before then?" he grins.

"I'm just trying to keep my skills up," I say smiling back.

We take a walk and sit down on the riverbank. He shares his lunch with me and I stare out into the water. The weather is beautiful and the way the sunlight is hitting the water is marvellous. I then notice Faendal glancing towards me with a weird look on his face.

"What?" I ask nervously.

"You're from Morrowind aren't you?" he asks.

"How did you guess?" I ask back.

"I just had a hunch, I thought about it last night. It's the way you speak, it's almost poetic sometimes," he says innocently.

I am flattered by this, but surprised, "Poetic huh? You should tell that to my mother. She always thought I had a filthy mouth." I laugh.

"That's not very lady like then," he jokes.

"Being a lady was never really my forte anyway. I could care less what people think. I like swearing and I'm not going to stop any time soon."

"You're not afraid to be you, I like that. I like people who aren't afraid to be who they are. They show their feelings and really let people in."

"You can read people then? Are you from Skyrim or are you from somewhere else?" I question.

"Yeah, I was born here. I'm glad I was born here near Riverwood and not somewhere like Windhelm. All elves are treated horribly there. They live in a secluded area of the city and are very poor."

"So I've been told. What makes the Nords better than us anyway," I say lowering my voice. "I mean the Elves have done just as much as they have, haven't we?"

"I agree with you, but I guess we can't really say it out loud."

"Well I'm going to prove them all wrong."

Faendal looks at me and smiles, "Well young lady, you have my support."

"I think I better be heading back to Whiterun, big things to do tomorrow," I say.

"Good luck! You don't really need it. You're pretty damn good with a bow, anyone you come across doesn't stand a chance."

I hug Faendal and kiss him on the cheek. I have found a true friend. I have found someone who understands me and agrees with me.

I head down the path back to Whiterun. I like this walk, it's not too long and it gives me time to think to myself. Then I hear the rustling. Now someone is hurdling towards me with a sword drawn. I quickly lift my bow and fire two arrows. This doesn't stop him. He is just about to swing at me when I quickly dodge him. I gracefully jump onto a rock and fire another two arrows, now I'm going some damage. He swings his sword and grazes my leg slightly. I ignore the pain and fire another arrow. He drops dead in an instant. I look down at my newest wound. It's barely a scratch. I quickly go through his possessions. I find some healing potions and some Septims, perfect. I remove the arrows that are still intact and continue on.

Once I get to Whiterun I stop at the forge. The blacksmith is a female. Maybe she can teach me a thing or two about smithing. I show her the wolf pelts that I collected and she shows me how to make leather on the tanning rack. She then shows me how to use all of the other equipment, now I have the basics. She tells me that I can use her forge whenever I like and she has a lot of materials available that I can buy from her.

I head up to my room in the Bannered Mare. I strip off my weapons and armour and crawl into bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day and I need my rest. I lie down and close my eyes, slowly I drift off to sleep.

_"Run!" Someone is screaming towards me. I look up and see the dragon. I see my parents and my siblings and run over to them. What are they doing here, when did they get here? Just as I am about to reach them the dragon swoops down. My father tries to fight it off, but it is no use. I see my entire family slaughtered in front of me. I am screaming now, screaming for them to come back._

I wake up sweating. It was a dream, just a dream. I am visibly shaking. It seemed so real to me. I sit up and notice the sun is just beginning to rise. I dress in my armour and I tie my hair back. I look at the cut on my leg, it's not too bad, it might not even leave a scar. I quickly gather my weapons and head out the door.

When I arrive at the Gray Mane residence I notice there are already some men there. They look me up and down and start laughing. Avulstein, the man who told me of the mission does not look impressed and he quickly comes to my defense.

"I bet she can aim better than any of you so shut up!" he yells.

This causes the men to go silent. I hold my head up high and walk over to the table and sit down. We eat with very little chatter. I'm not even as nervous as I thought I would be. I guess seeing these big burly Nords made me feel safer.

We are about to depart when Fralia puts my face between her hands, "Find my boy."

"I will, I promise." I say hugging her.

Fralia holds onto me for a long time. She finally lets me go and kisses my cheek. It's nice to feel that again. The feeling of someone caring about me. I smile at her and nod my head as I am about to leave.

We head out of Whiterun and it is another warm day. There isn't much talking as we walk. These men look at me like I can't keep up when in reality they're the ones tiring. We come across a few bandits and with a group this large they aren't very much trouble. We split their possessions evenly amongst ourselves. I can feel myself soaking with sweat, I can't wait to get to the cooler regions of Skyrim, I don't know if I can handle this heat. As we're walking we stop by a river to cool down. After drinking and soaking ourselves, we move on.

When nightfall approaches we quickly set up camp. Someone starts a fire and I begin putting up a small shelter for myself. We sit around the fire. The men are laughing and joking about adventures they have been on and I just sit quietly and listen. None of these men are married. That comes up a few times.

"Who needs a wife when I can find a good whore to satisfy my needs." One of them says while laughing.

I just shake my head. They're disgusting. I can't wait to find Avulstein's brother and get away from these men. They see the disgusted look on my phase and burst out laughing.

"I bet you could show a man a good time," one of them says while stumbling towards me, he's drunk.

I stand up and hold my dagger to his throat, "Want to find out," I say while pushing the blade closer to his throat.

He slowly backs up and all the other men have shut up. Avulstein bursts out laughing and nods his head in my direction.

"The girl can hold her own," he laughs and steps over to me. "Don't worry," he whispers, "I won't let them touch you."

This reassures me and I head to my shelter. I fall asleep to the sounds of their laughing and chatting.

The next few days are fairly uneventful. We run into some bandits and some wolves, but it is nothing we can't handle. I make sure to take the pelts off the wolves so that I can practice my smithing when I return to Whiterun. The weather has changed as well, it is getting colder and there is some snow on the ground. I see some kind of tower in the distance. Avulstein informs me that is the place where we are looking for his brother, Thorald.

We finally reach the place and are immediately ambushed. I take cover and pull out my bow. I have to take out the archers on the second level. I load my bow and look around the tree. I fire one and it hits one of them straight in the chest and he falls backwards. I repeat this until all of the archers are taken out. I then load my bow and look around. I see one of the men in trouble and quickly fire. I am satisfied with my hit and not really paying attention when it happens. Someone has sliced my arm with a sword and it's pretty deep. I drop my bow and duck as they swing again. I pull out my axe and begin swinging at the man. I deliver the death blow to his head. There don't seem to be any more of them fighting us. I then look down to the snow which is blood soaked all around me, then I look to my arm. Blood is oozing out of it. I quickly find some cloth and wrap it up as best as I can. I am informed that these soldiers are called, Thalmor. They are ruthless and won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way. All of them are Altmer.

We head inside the keep and there are more of them in the building, we quickly take all of them out as we go. I don't see any sign of Thorald. The other men have been killed and it is just me and Avulstein now. We keep searching for Thorald and then we hear someone calling for help. We enter the room and by the look on Avulstein's face I know it is Thorald. They have a quick reunion and then I help take of his bindings. We give him a sword and head out. I find a door leading out and unlock it with the key that I swiped off of one of the Thalmor.

Once outside Avulstein and Thorald inform me that they won't be coming back to Whiterun. I am shocked. They tell me that it won't be safe for them anymore and that they have to get away. I don't know what to say.

"What about your mother? What do I tell her?" I ask them.

Thorald steps forward, "Tell her, tell her that _to suffer the winter's cold wind, for it bears aloft next summer's seeds. _She'll know what it means."

I say my goodbyes to them and head back the way I came. The journey back to Whiterun is completely uneventful. I come across a few wolves, but that is about it. How long have I been gone? A week? I can see Whiterun just ahead. Good, I'm exhausted. I quickly make my way into the city and find Fralia in her home. I explain to her that I found Thorald and she wants to see him. I tell her that he didn't think it was safe to return. This seems to hurt her and then she questions if I am telling her the truth. I tell her the passage that Thorald told me to tell her and tears begin to form in her arms.

"As long as they're safe and together. Thank you so much Estella." Fralia wraps me in a tight embrace.

"You're welcome," I say hugging her back.


	6. High Hrothgar

It's been three weeks since I've returned to Whiterun. I went to Bleak Falls Barrow to retrieve the Dragonstone. Now that was a challenge. The journey to Bleak Falls Barrow alone was rough. I was alone and it was freezing. There were a few bandits and I've earned myself a few more wounds. When I got into the Barrow there were more interesting things to fight. Such as giant spiders, some kind of skeletal things which I learned are called Draugr, there also were disgusting disease filled skeevers. Something happened while I was in there as well, there were some words on the wall and they drew me in. I feel like they almost were absorbed into me. It felt strange, it has to mean something.

I still have the Dragonstone and I think I should give it to the court wizard before I lose it, that would probably be incredibly bad. I get up from my usual place in the Bannered Mare and head up to Dragonsreach. I walk in and head straight for the court wizard and return the Dragonstone, he seems so grateful. He thanks me and we make some small talk. I then hear Irileth talking, something about a dragon. Have they found it? I listen closer and apparently it is by one of the watch towers. The Jarl orders her to gather some men and head out there, then he tells me he needs me there to. My heart is racing, I really don't want to face a dragon again, but I can't really say no. I follow Irileth out.

We run out of the city at full speed. I pull out my bow, you never know when exactly this dragon is going to pop out. We stop just before the watch tower. It is burned terribly and there doesn't look to be any sign of life. We quickly go towards it and there is one survivor, he says we should go back. He says the dragon is still here, that's when I see it. I quickly load my bow and fire. I jump out of the way, narrowly missing the jet of fire hurdling towards me. I get up quickly and fire more arrows. I see the dragon take another victim. I fire again and again until finally the dragon crashes down around us.

Something strange is happening. The dragon is beginning to…dissolve. There is a bright light and it is swirling around me. I feel it going into my skin, into my body. This is just like what happened when I went near that wall, only this feels stronger.

"You," one of the guards hesitates, "you're Dragonborn."

"Dragonborn? What's Dragonborn?" I ask.

The guard explains to me that there is a legend that when dragons used to roam the earth there was someone called the Dragonborn. The Dragonborn would fight off the dragons and absorb their power, just like I did. He tells me that I can shout now. I don't really know what it means until I feel it erupt from me. It is some kind of power, with my voice. This is absolutely incredible.

As I enter the city I hear a loud boom in the sky. What could it be? It isn't storming out. I shake my head and head up to Dragonsreach to speak with the Jarl. I tell him everything, including the part about me being called Dragonborn. The Jarl and one of his companions ask me if I heard the boom when I entered the city. I nod my head and they explain that it was the Greybeards summoning me. Greybeards? Who are they? They explain that they are masters of the voice and to be summoned by them is a great honour. They tell me to take the journey of seven thousand steps to High Hrothgar to meet them. The Jarl also names me Thane of Whiterun. I can't believe that he has given me a title. He also assigns me a Housecarl named Lydia. I bow to the Jarl and head towards the door.

I see a woman I don't recognize standing near the door. That must be Lydia. I introduce myself to her and ask her if she is ready to head to High Hrothgar with me. She nods her head and follows me out the door. She tells me the general way of getting there. That's good enough for me, I have no clue where I am going.

Before we head out we stop and gather some food and supplies. I pay for everything and give half of what I bought to Lydia. She doesn't want to accept it at first, but I insist. Lydia tells me that before we make the climb we have to go to a town called Ivarstead. That is fine with me, maybe we can even stay a night there.

We head out of Whiterun into the vast lands of Skyrim and start our journey. I am walking at a fairly fast pace and I notice Lydia falling behind. I slow down to wait for her to catch up. Maybe I should slow down, she can't keep up with me.

"You damn Elves walk so fast," she says out of breath.

"Do we? I am just walking normally," I laugh as I tell her.

"Oh sure you are," she pants.

I slow down quite a bit and keep pace with Lydia. She walks so slow. Lydia has a strong build to her. She looks like she could carry a lot. She isn't small like I am. Maybe I need to muscle up and become more like her. I skip around her forcing her to laugh.

"I do not walk _that _slow," she says.

"Yeah, you do," I say continually skipping.

"Well I don't feel like running everywhere," she says.

"Who's running? Clearly not us," I laugh.

Lydia shakes her head at me and quickens her pace a little. I take the lead victoriously. We spot a few bandits on the road and quickly take them out. No scratches this time. Some of them have quite a bit of coin and I don't hesitate to help myself.

We reach Ivarstead fairly late and we head straight for the inn. We decide to share a room and split the cost. Once in the room I take my hair out of the loose ponytail it was in. I try to comb it out with my fingers the best that I can. Lydia walks over and starts to help me. It seems to be going by faster now that she is helping me.

"I used to have long hair like yours when I was a kid," Lydia explains.

"Why did you cut it?" I ask.

"It got in the way, the way of battle I mean. So I cut a lot of it off and I don't have to worry about it as much."

I could never bring myself to part with my hair. As annoying as long hair is, I love it. I begin to braid it while Lydia gets into bed. I pull the last few strands in and tie it. I then crawl into bed beside Lydia and close my eyes. Tomorrow I will take the journey of the seven thousand steps. I think about it and eventually drift off to sleep.

When I wake up I notice that Lydia is already up and waiting. I quickly hop out of bed and put my armour on and ready my weapons. I quickly eat something and ask her if she is ready to go. Lydia nods her head at me and we set off. I ask a man at the bridge if he knows anything about the journey. He says at times it can be dangerous and that the weather can be unpredictable, but we should be fine. He then asks if I can do him a favour and drop of some supplies for the Greybeards if I am heading up. I agree to it and start the climb.

Climbing up the steps isn't as bad as I thought it would be. It is pretty cold up here, but it isn't too bad. We come across a few wolves and we take them down with ease. There are also some words carved into stones and I take time to read them as we walk up. We're pretty high up, we must be getting close. I hear a grunting noise and look ahead. I hope it isn't what I think it is. My fear has been proven, it is indeed a frost troll. Lydia runs straight for it and I pull out my bow. She attacks it viciously with her sword while I hit it with arrows from a distance. After nearly ten minutes of fighting the troll we manage to bring it down. Lydia looks pretty beat up, but she insists that it doesn't hurt too much.

We continue on and finally I can see a building. Before we enter I drop of the supplies in a chest like I was instructed to do. We enter the ancient building. Everything inside is made of stone and it looks incredible. Everything is very old, but very beautiful and preserved. I look around a bit longer until I am greeted by one of the Greybeards.

The Greybeard greets me as the Dragonborn and explains what it means. He tells me that I can absorb power from dragons and form words into shouts. I can create power with my voice. They want to teach me how to use it and how to control it. I am known to the dragons as _Dovakiin, _which translates to Dragonborn.

Lydia stands off to the side as they attempt to teach me. This is supposed to come naturally, it can't be that hard right? They teach me _words of power_, which give strength to the shout. After I learn a couple of words they tell me to try my shout. I do so and am amazed at what I have just done. They praise me for the job well done and then take me outside to learn a new shout. This shout is supposed to make me have a quick burst of speed. I learn it quickly and then I try it out. I am amazed at how fast I actually moved. This is absolutely insane. How is this real? I try my shouts out a few more times and the Greybeards seem delighted. Lydia and I say our goodbyes to the Greybeards and leave High Hrothgar. Lydia stares at me amazed. I blush a little and start walking.

"Come on, let's get down the mountain before it gets too dark," I say.

With that we head back down the mountain. Lydia trailing behind me once again.


	7. A Turn of Events

Eventually Lydia and I make it back down the mountain. Nightfall has approached and we head to the inn in Ivarstead. Both of us are exhausted from the day and head straight to our room. We quickly change into our nightclothes and crawl into bed. We make small talk and talk about our day. Lydia was so astounded by the things that she saw me do today. Frankly, so am I. Lydia tells me how she always thought the Dragonborn would be a Nord. I am shocked too, who would have thought that the Dragonborn would be a tiny Dunmer. We say goodnight to each other and drift off to sleep.

When I awaken in the morning I decide I want to go to Windhelm. Truth be told I miss Ralof. I gather my belongings and wait for Lydia to wake up. After about fifteen minutes she stirs and opens her eyes.

"You look eager to go," she says tiredly.

"I want to go to Windhelm and I think I better go alone. I have a few loose ends to tie up," I say.

"Loose ends? Who could you possibly have loose ends with in Windhelm?" she questions.

"Look Lydia, I'm not saying this to be mean, but it's none of your business. I'll see you when I get back to Whiterun." I say and begin to leave the room.

Now that I am walking on my own I am moving at a much quicker pace. I don't understand how some people can walk so slow. As I begin to get nearer to Windhelm it starts getting colder. Perfect. I try to ignore it as much as I can, but I can't help but shiver every once in a while. Just when I think I can't bear it any longer I see giant city walls in the distance. The snow starts falling and the sun is beginning to set. I quicken my pace once again and am almost to the entrance of the city. The guards outside of the walls look at me I disgust. Right, Windhelm is the city where they hate the Dunmer. I return the guards disgusted look and make my way inside the city.

This place is incredible. The first thing I take note of when I walk in is two Nord men arguing with a Dunmer woman. They pretty much tell her that she is scum. I walk over to her and she tells me not to worry. She says that she is used to it.

"Must be new to Windhelm, I haven't seen you in the Gray Quarter," she says.

"Gray Quarter?" I ask confused.

"It's where all the Dunmer live in Windhelm, we're treated like dirt here. We live in a secluded slum called the Gray Quarter."

I follow her and she leads me to the Gray Quarter. It's filthy, how are these poor people forced to live like this. I see a small child playing in the street, his clothes are rags and he looks like he doesn't get enough to eat. Before I know it I feel the tears welling up in my eyes and they begin to slide down my cheeks.

"Don't worry about us dear, we get by," she says.

"It's not fair, you don't deserve this. The Dunmer are a hard working race, they are just threatened by us. We're better than them." I yell in a fit of rage.

"Keep your voice down!" she hisses. "I agree with you, but we can't go around shouting things like that."

I dry my eyes and leave the Gray Quarter. I walk around a secluded alley in Windhelm. How can my people be treated like this? It isn't right. How are they forced to live like this? It is completely unfair, but who is going to listen to me? I after all, am a Dunmer, just like all of them. I pace back and forth down the alley. Why did I even come here, this is a horrible place.

"Estella?" I hear my name being called in the distance.

I quickly turn around and before I know it I am running towards the owner of that voice. As I reach Ralof I crash into him. He picks me up and hugs me tightly and before either of us can get a word in our lips are crashing against each other. I part my lips allowing him to slip his tongue into my mouth. He finds mine and our tongues are dancing together.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" he finally pulls away and asks.

"I wanted to see you," I say as he puts me down.

He strokes my face with his strong hands. He stares into my eyes and has the biggest smile on his face. My hands find his arms and I hold them. I almost forgot how strong and muscular he is. I find myself looking up at him too and smiling. Ralof is at least a foot and a half taller than me. I feel like a little kid. He removes his hands from my face and grabs my hands and squeezes tightly.

"Your hands are freezing," he says.

"Then you'll just have to warm them up," I flirt.

"Come on you little fool. You're in luck, I happen to be renting a house at the moment and have it all to myself." He grips my hand and pulls me forward. "Now I would have my head on a stick if anyone saw me with an Elf, so we're going to have to stick to the alleys."

I don't argue as we walk along the walls of the alleyway. We turn a few corners and then Ralof hoists me over a fence and tells me to wait for him. I'm in a backyard and I assume this is the place that he was telling me about. A few moments later the backdoor opens and Ralof motions for me to come inside.

Once inside I help Ralof light the torches on the walls. Ralof begins starting a fire and I take a seat in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. He walks over to the counter and pours two glasses of wine and hands one of them to me. Ralof then sits in the seat across from me and leans back.

"Are you hungry?" he asks.

"A little," I state.

"I'm not much of a cook," he looks towards me.

"I can make us something." It's been ages since I've cooked anything, but I really do miss it.

"If you're sure," he asks hesitantly.

"I'm positive."

I run down to the basement to see what I can find down there. I see a roast sitting in the corner and grab it. I carry it upstairs and begin cooking it over the fire. I wash my hands and then I find some vegetables and cut them up as well. As I am doing this I notice Ralof watching my every move. I grin at him when I look up again and he returns it.

"It shouldn't be too much longer now," I say.

"Good, I'm starting to get really hungry," he says.

I ask Ralof where the bathroom is so that I can clean myself up a bit. He shows me to it and leaves me be. I wash my hands and face and look at myself in the cracked mirror. Well I've looked worse. I take my hair out of the braid and let it flow down my back.

I return from the bathroom and finish cooking the meal. I find some plates and dish up for the both of us. I bring them to the table and set one in front of Ralof and sit down with the other one.

"Your hair looks nice like that," he says beginning to eat.

I simply smile at him and begin eating too. I forgot how good of a cook I actually am. This is delicious.

"You didn't tell me that the Dunmer were treated this badly," I say.

"I try not to go down there," he says and I notice he isn't looking at me.

"Why? Are you too good for them? …Too good for me?" I ask.

"Is that what you think Estella? Of course I don't think I'm too good for them. I don't go down there because I don't like seeing them treated like that. I couldn't bear it if I saw you being treated like that."

"Then why don't you say something to Ulfric?" I question raising my voice.

"It isn't that easy Estella, I can't just waltz in and talk to him whenever I want." He says calmly.

"It isn't fair," I'm screaming now and on my feet, "why should my people be starving and freezing while all of you get more than enough?"

"I-I don't know," he looks embarrassed now.

"You've gotten everything here, while they try to get by on nothing!" now I'm really angry. How can he just turn a blind eye? Why doesn't he help them? "Why don't _you _do something if you hate the way they're treated?"

"I can't!" he is on his feet now too, towering over me. "You don't get it! I'd be killed! They wouldn't want me down there anyway! They hate us! They wouldn't let me help them if I tried! You're a Dunmer, tell me something about them! Something about you that wouldn't want me to help you! Tell me!" he yells.

"We're proud," I whisper.

Ralof turns his back to me and I'm left standing in the same spot. He runs up the stairs and I'm left alone. Slowly I turn to the table and begin cleaning up. I place the dishes on the counter and put water in the sink. I begin washing them, thinking about the explosive fight that we just had. I guess in a way he is right. They wouldn't want his help.

I finish tidying and head upstairs. Ralof is sitting in a chair with his back turned to me. He's reading some kind of book.

"I'm sorry," I say standing behind him.

He closes the book and stands up. He pulls me in a tight embrace, "I'm sorry too."

We hug for a long time, neither of us wanting to let go. He releases his grip on me, but doesn't let go. He pulls his right hand under my chin and pulls my face to his. His kiss is warm. He parts his lips and I push my tongue into his mouth. I move my hands up to his face and kiss him more passionately than I have ever kissed anyone. He moves his hands to my hips and pulls me in even closer. He pushes my tongue back and puts his in my mouth. A low moan escapes my mouth. His hands move from my hips to my bum and he gives me a playful squeeze. I bite his lip playfully and he lets out a small chuckle.

"You're going to drive me crazy you fool," he says softly.

"Then my plan is working," I wink at him.

We move closer to the bed and Ralof begins working at the buckles on my armour. I begin working at the buttons at his shirt and have it off him quickly. I push my lips to his while he struggles with the buckles. He finally has them and removes the top half of it. He carefully removes my bra and pushes his tongue into my mouth. His hands run up my stomach and I get chills. He grabs both of my breasts and massages them. He moves his hands down and he begins working at the buckles on my bottom half. He slides it off me and I'm left in only my underwear.

We fall onto the bed and he continues to kiss me. I get his trousers off him and feel his hardness against my thigh. He moves his right hand up to my left breast and puts my nipple in between his fingers. I let out another moan. I can feel my wetness increasing between my legs. I remove his underwear from his body exposing him to me. I run my hand up his length and he lets out a grumble. I wrap my hand around it and move my hand up and down.

I take his hardened penis into my mouth and begin sucking. I move up and down his length. His hands are gripping my hair and he is moaning softly. I lightly graze my teeth over him. He grumbles even louder. I find his balls and take them in my hand, still sucking on him. I squeeze them while bobbing up and down and this sends him over the edge. He releases his hot seed into my mouth. I swallow the creamy liquid and he pulls me up to him and crushes his lips onto mine.

Ralof flips me on my back and pushes his tongue further into my mouth. He grabs both of my breasts in his hands and squeezes tightly. I squeal a little and fight his tongue with my own.

"I don't think so missy, it's my turn," he says.

My underwear must be sopping. He grabs both of my nipples and pinches them both. This arouses me even more than I already am. His mouth leaves mine and he kisses my neck, then my collar bone, and then the tops of my breasts. He takes my right nipple into his mouth and begins sucking on it. He runs his tongue over it and then he moves to my left nipple. He sucks this one as well and softly bites down on it. I moan loudly.

"Oh she likes that," he says and bites harder.

A trail of blood emits from it and he continues sucking and licking. I can feel his hardness against me once again. His hands finally move down and he takes off my underwear. Ralof moves further down the bed and spreads my legs. His face is now between my legs. He begins licking my clit and then his tongue enters me. I moan again loudly, full of pleasure. He begins sucking gently and I'm dripping. He pulls up his head and pulls his body back up.

Ralof positions himself above me and enters me. I scream in pleasure. His thrusts start slow and he begins to get faster and faster. He's moaning as well, each time his pushes into me.

"You're so fucking tight," he says through gritted teeth.

He's hitting the perfect spot and I feel myself begin to clench around him. I scream his name and feel my juices flowing. He's not done yet and he keeps pushing, harder and faster. I'm surprised all of Windhelm can't hear my moans and screams. I clench around him once more and he reaches his climax as well, filling me with his warm seed. Ralof collapses on top of me and rests his head between my breasts.

Without warning he flips onto his back bringing me with him. I slide down and rest my head on his chest. He pulls the blankets and pelts around us and we lie together. I kiss his chest softly and lift my head up to face him.

"What?" he questions.

"You're gorgeous," I tell him.

"Well little lady, have you looked at yourself? Anyone would be lucky to even talk to you. You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he says and kisses my forehead.

I roll off Ralof's chest and turn onto my side. He rolls too and cuddles me from behind. He wraps his arms around me and I close my eyes.

When I wake up in the morning, I find myself alone in the bed. I find Ralof's shirt from the night before and head for the stairs. Just as I am about to walk down I am met by Ralof.

"Good mo-," I'm cut off by his hand covering my mouth.

He pushes me into the corner of the room. With his other hand he motions for me to be quiet and removes the hand from my mouth.

"What's going on?" I whisper.

"Some of the guys are here, they can't know you're here, they'd kill both of us. Just wait up here and I'll try to get rid of them." He whispers back.

Ralof heads back downstairs and I crawl back into bed. How long is this going to take?

I am awakened by Ralof softly shaking me. When I open my eyes he kisses me lightly. "Sorry darling, I didn't think it would take that long," he says.

"What were they doing here?" I ask.

"They just wanted to hang out, we haven't had any raids in a while and they're getting bored," he tells me.

Ralof leads me downstairs and shows me what he has for lunch. Have I really been sleeping that long? Bread and jam, nice and simple. I go to sit at the chair across from him, but he pulls me into his lap. We eat our lunch and then he turns my head and kisses me.

"What do you want to do?" he asks.

"First, I want to take a bath," I tell him.

Ralof draws me a bath and I head for the bathroom. I sit in the water and let it soak around me. Ralof opens the door to the bathroom and walks in. He then starts stripping off his clothing. What is he doing? He climbs in the tub behind me and sits back.

"I should probably have one of these too," he laughs.

We bathe together in such serenity. It feels so good to be cleaned and to be held. I feel his hands running over my scars. He asks me if they hurt with so much concern in his voice. I have to reassure him several times that they don't. Ralof cleans by back with soap and rinses it off, he then attempts to wash my hair.

"I think I better do that," I say laughing.

"Why is your hair a mile long?" he questions.

"It's the way I like it," I smirk.

After both of us are cleaned sufficiently, we dress and sit at the table. I am wearing the dress Gerlurd gave me the last time I went to Riverwood, my hair hangs loosely down my back. Ralof is wearing brown trousers and a white shirt. We sit in silence for a long time until Ralof finally breaks it.

"I have to leave in the morning, Ulfric has something he needs me to do. You're welcome to stay here, but don't let anyone see you," he says.

"No, I better leave too, I have…" I search for the right words, "duties to perform."

"What could you possibly have to do?" he asks.

"I have to fulfill my destiny. I-I'm the Dragonborn," I sputter out.

Ralof burst into a fit of laughter, "You? You're the Dragonborn? You can't be! You're kidding right?"

I feel my anger boiling once more, how can he be making fun of me? I thought he cared about me? Before I lose my temper and explode again, I get up from the table and walk upstairs. I find my things strewn across the room and begin picking them up. Ralof comes up the stairs after a while and sees me packing up my stuff.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" he asks.

"Leaving," I say dryly, fastening the last buckle on my armour.

"Estella, what's wrong? What did I do?" he asks.

"I won't sit here and be made fun of, I'm going," I say, feeling my anger growing.

"You mean, you really are the Dragonborn?" he smirks again and starts to laugh.

"Stop mocking me and get out of my way!" I yell.

"Estella, you can't go, it's almost nightfall," he stops laughing and becomes more serious.

"Guess I'll have my work cut out for me then," I spit out.

I run down the stairs and head for the door, I have to get out of here. How dare he mock me? I can't even look at him right now. Ralof rushes down the stairs and tries to stop me, but I'm too quick for him. I hurry out the back door and can feel the tears beginning to fall. I never want to see him again, not if he is going to laugh at me every chance he gets. I can hear him calling my name and I quicken my pace and leave the city walls. I have a whole province, where will I go next?


	8. The Thieves Guild

I'm walking fast out of Windhelm, tears pouring out of my eyes. I start jogging lightly and follow the path to wherever it is going to take me. After walking for about five minutes I really break down. I start sobbing. I truly am alone, I have no one. I miss my family so much, I want to go home, I want to see my friends. I keep walking even though my tears are really blurring my vision. I finally see a sign up ahead on the road. I walk over to it and read it, I've never heard of Riften before, maybe I'll go there.

I wipe my eyes and set out for Riften. The night is freezing and I'm shivering. I start to run a little bit; I want to get there as fast as possible. I try not to think of Ralof as I walk, thoughts of him just upset me and I don't want to cry anymore. As much as I try, I can't help but think of him. His beautiful face, his gorgeous voice, his smell. I want him, I do, but I'm angry, so angry. He doesn't believe me and he mocks me. He doesn't deserve me.

After a few hours I am at the city walls. A guard kindly opens the door to the city and I thank him as I walk in. This isn't the cleanest place I've ever seen, but it's not that bad. A guard directs me to The Bee and Barb where he says I can rent a room. I walk into the inn and instantly I smile. I notice people of all races are welcome here. I walk up to the Argonian at the bar and ask her if I can rent a room. I give her my gold and she shows me to my room.

I don't even bother getting changed and I slump down on the bed. Tears begin to roll down my cheeks again, not over Ralof this time, but over my family in Morrowind. I worry mostly about my mother, I wonder how she is doing without me. Maybe I will return one day, but right now, I can't, I have to help the people of Skyrim. I slowly close my eyes with tears still falling and silently drift off to sleep.

I wake up early the next morning and quickly throw on a dress. I run my fingers through my hair and try to get it to cooperate. I sit on my bed and go through my belongings. I have my bow and arrows, my axe, a dagger, three pelts, a few pieces of leather, quite a few leather strips, some lockpicks, my armour, another dress, a few underclothes, a belt, and some gold. I think I might need to get myself a bigger pack. I take the dagger and the leather, I craft myself a small holster that I can wear around my ankle and the dagger fits in it perfectly. I fasten it around myself and pull my boot overtop.

I head downstairs and order myself some breakfast. I notice a man staring at me intently, I find myself blushing as he is rather good looking. His eyes don't seem to be lustful however, they are more confused and determined. The man walks over to where I am sitting and sits down across from me.

"Never earned an honest coin in your life have you?" he asks me while looking directly at me.

How does he know? "Excuse me?" I ask.

"You heard me. It's not a bad thing lass, I could use someone like you, meet me in the square." He says.

I quickly finish off my breakfast and head outside to the square. He walks over to one of the stalls and stands behind it. So he is a merchant? I am so confused right now. I head over and ask him what all of this is about. He tells me some story about how he wants someone locked up and he needs my help doing it. He says he wants me to steal the Argonian's ring and plant it on the Dunmer. Apparently the Dunmer owes him money and he wants to get him locked up. He says he will cause the distraction while I sneak around and do his bidding. He then asks me if I am willing to help him. In some strange way I am willing, he is right about me not earning any of this coin, maybe he sees promise in me. I nod my head in agreement.

"Excellent, let's get started," he says with a sly smile.

The man starts the distraction and I quickly head over to the Argonian's stall. I open the panel on the bottom and go to open the strongbox. Of course it's locked. I pull out a lockpick and quickly start working, the lock doesn't seem to be very challenging. After a few seconds I get the lock open and open the box. I remove the ring and sneakily head over behind the Dunmer, not making a sound. I slip the ring into his pocket and move away from him.

"Well done, well done!" he says to me when I tell him the news.

The crowds have left now and we stand talking at his stall, "I'm Estella by the way and you are?" I question him.

"Brynjolf. For your efforts today Estella, here is your cut." Brynjolf hands over a coin purse filled with gold coins. "We could use someone like you, my organization has been going through a little bit of a rough patch, I'm surprised our plan went off without a hitch."

"What's been going on?" I ask him.

"We've just been having some trouble that's all, but never mind that. You did well today and there is more where that came from, if you're interested?" he asks me.

Hell yes I'm interested, who knew that stealing could be so much fun and being paid to do it would be even better. "You bet I'm interested," I say amused.

"Let's put that to the test. The group that I represent has its home in the Ratway, in a tavern called The Ragged Flagon, get there in one piece and we can talk," he tells me this and then he starts to walk away.

I stand in the middle of Riften stunned. The thought of becoming a thief intrigues me. I mean I know that stealing is wrong, but it is a skill like any other and I would like to become more talented at it. I really like Riften so far, already I have been invited to try something, even if that something may be illegal.

I head back to the inn to change into my armour. Brynjolf said get there in one piece, so I am assuming that something is waiting for me in the Ratway, nothing I can't handle…hopefully. When I reach my room I quickly shrug off the dress and pull my armour on. I grab my bow and then I notice a crack running through it. It is to be expected, it is just a simple thing, I'll have to find myself a better one after I get through this. I pull my axe into my belt and I'm ready to go.

When I step foot in the Ratway the first thing I notice is the stench. It smells awful down here. The next thing I notice is voices; I quickly crouch, draw my bow, and pull an arrow from my quiver. Nice and easy, I can do this. There are two of them, if I am quick enough I can do this without causing any damage to myself. I take aim and take a deep breath in. I let go of the string and send my arrow flying, it pierces the first of the men in the neck. Well he's done for. I load my bow quickly and fire the second arrow, I hit the target, but only manage to hit his arm. He's moving closer to me now and I pull out an hour as fast as I can. I don't aim very well and completely miss when I fire. He lifts his sword and swings at me, I dodge it, but just barely. I pull out my axe and we square off, both of us circling vigorously. We both take sings at the exact same time and our weapons collide, he pulls back quickly and swings again. His sword finds my chest plate and this pushes me off balance. I stumble for a minute before falling to the ground and sending my axe in the opposite direction. Oh no, I'm done for. He swings again and I roll out of the way, this is when I remember the dagger strapped to my ankle. I retrieve it as quickly as I can and hop to my feet, the man takes another swing at me and I jump onto his back and drive the dagger into his throat.

I wipe the blood from my face and loot their bodies. I find nothing of interest really, but I suppose I could sell a few of these things. I take a couple of rings and a necklace. I retrieve my own weapons and right myself before moving forward in this hell hole.

I finally reach the Ragged Flagon without very much trouble. I had to kill a few others, but it wasn't very difficult.

"I see you've made it lass," Brynjolf says with a smile.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," I say.

"Good to know, I got something for you to do. If you're up for it?" he tells me.

"Of course I'm up for it! What is it?" I ask him.

"I need you to collect payments from three people. Seems they don't like to pay us back. The money isn't really the issue here, they just need to know not to cross the Guild." He replies.

Brynjolf tells me the details and I make my way back up to the city. I head to the first location to collect debt from Keerava. Keerava is the Argonian who runs the Bee and Barb. I walk up to the counter and tell her that she owes money to the Thieves Guild. She gets really angry with me, but not enough to fight with me; I seem to have intimidated her. She hands the gold over to me and I make my way outside. Next I have to find a man named Bersi. I locate him quickly and he seems to have no problem handing the money over to me, but he seems confused when he does it. After he gives me the money he questions his wife about it and her voice seems shaky, but Bersi seems to think nothing of it, how strange. The last person I have to collect debt from is Haelga. When arrive at her bunkhouse she greets me rudely and turns her back to me. I have a feeling it is going to be a tad bit more difficult to get money out of her. I tell her about her debt to the Thieves Guild and she swings a fist at me. I quickly dodge it not expecting her to come at me again and I'm genuinely surprised when she lands a punch on my left cheek. I start swinging back at her and once I get going she is no match for me. she falls to the ground and hands the money over.

When I exit Haelga's bunkhouse I spit a mouthful of blood onto the street. This better not become swollen, but I can already tell I'm going to be sporting a black eye. I walk down the streets, unfortunately it's still light outside and I'm getting some weird looks based on my appearance.

When I return back to the Ragged Flagon Brynjolf is quite pleased with my performance, so impressed that he introduces me to Mercer Frey. Apparently I'm part of the Thieves Guild now and they tell me to go pick up my new armour. I talk to one of the girls in the Ragged Flagon and she hands me new armour, boots, gloves and a hood. I find out her name is Tonilia and she tells me this armour is perfect for thieves. Before I go and find out what my new mission is, I explain to Brynjolf and Mercer Frey that I want to go to Riverwood. I explain everything about what has happened to me and they completely understand. With their blessing I gather my belongings and make my way out of Riften.


End file.
